snap-dragon
|snap-drag-on|
🇺🇸
/ˈsnæpˌdræɡən/
🇬🇧
/ˈsnæpdræɡən/
(snapdragon)
dragon-like, snapping flower
Etymology
'snapdragon' originates from English, specifically the compound of 'snap' + 'dragon', where 'snap' meant 'to make a sharp biting/snapping action or sound' and 'dragon' alluded to the flower's dragon-like hinged 'mouth'.
'snap-dragon' appears as a hyphenated compound in early modern English (16th–17th century) and later consolidated into the single word 'snapdragon' in modern English. (The botanical genus name 'Antirrhinum' comes separately from Greek roots 'anti-' and 'rhin-' meaning 'like a nose'.)
Initially used for the plant whose flower resembles a dragon's head and also for a now-archaic party game; over time the plant sense became the dominant modern meaning while the game sense fell out of common use.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a common garden plant (genus Antirrhinum) with tubular flowers that look like a dragon's head which appears to 'snap' open when squeezed.
She planted snap-dragon seeds along the garden path.
Synonyms
Noun 2
an old party game (chiefly historical) in which flaming raisins or other items were scattered in a dish of brandy and players snatched them out — called 'snap-dragon'.
At the Victorian gathering they entertained guests by playing snap-dragon with flaming raisins.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/21 20:30